2 cups flour
2/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg — beaten
8 baking apples — (Jonathan)
4 tablespoons butter — divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Caramel Syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla
…..
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Blend in shortening. Combine egg and milk and add all at once. Stir until moist. Divide into 8 equal parts and roll each part out into a circle. Peel and core the 8 apples. Place them, core holes up, on center of pastry circles. Dot each apple hole with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour the cinnamon/sugar mixture into the core of each apple, distributing evenly. Bring the pastry edges up to cover apples and pinch to secure. Make caramel syrup by combining brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons butter, salt and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Set syrup aside. Next, place the apple dumplings in a deep, greased 13×9 pan and top with 1/2 batch caramel syrup. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes , until apples are tender, basting several times with remaining syrup.